[retiredguy123]

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

If only they had all those in the same place at the same time

Yet, yesterday, 1200 pilots had the spare time to protest/picket for more money, less hours, more benefits, "job security" (figure that one) and "better working conditions" (luxury cockpits???).

[MartinSE]

There are a lot of reasons, I assume you know them, and are just upset they do it.

Weather, not enough seats sold to pay for the fuel, COVID, etc etc etc.

[manaboutown]

The pilots are too busy to fly as they are shaking down their employers for more pay for less work. More than 1,200 Delta pilots picket at 7 major airports to call for higher pay : NPR

Southwest Airlines pilots picket, say they'''re tired of being understaffed and overworked

Year ago I used to fly AmericaWest (known as AmericaWorst to flight crews as well as passengers). For quite a while the pilots were having flights delayed and canceled for any trivial excuse they could imagine. For months it was a nightmare of missed connections, losing great upgrade seats when they canceled my flights and crammed me into middle seats of other flights, getting stuck overnight in connecting cities and so on. One day I was up in first class and the pilot was pulling some stunt about why he could not take off due to a light on the console not working properly. A guy near me pulled out his FAA credentials and waved them at the pilot and told him to get the plane in the air or he would get written up. We took off in minutes.

[Babubhat]

FAA Jacksonville horrendously understaffed. Fouls up the East Coast, especially Florida. Inexcusable.

The FAA has admitted that it too is understaffed, particularly at a key air traffic control center in Florida.

Calio said that facility, near Jacksonville, Florida, has been understaffed for 27 of the last 30 days, “which is crippling to the entire East Coast traffic flows.”

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

Because they do not have all of these resources at the time needed. My assumption is not flying the trip costs them money and if they could fly the trip they would make a profit.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

The pilots are too busy to fly as they are shaking down their employers for more pay for less work. More than 1,200 Delta pilots picket at 7 major airports to call for higher pay : NPR

Southwest Airlines pilots picket, say they'''re tired of being understaffed and overworked

Year ago I used to fly AmericaWest (known as AmericaWorst to flight crews as well as passengers). For quite a while the pilots were having flights delayed and canceled for any trivial excuse they could imagine. For months it was a nightmare of missed connections, losing great upgrade seats when they canceled my flights and crammed me into middle seats of other flights, getting stuck overnight in connecting cities and so on. One day I was up in first class and the pilot was pulling some stunt about why he could not take off due to a light on the console not working properly. A guy near me pulled out his FAA credentials and waved them at the pilot and told him to get the plane in the air or he would get written up. We took off in minutes.

Cool, so some guy that worked at the FAA (clerk?) waves his badge and all the lives on that plane are put in jeopardy. Let me know when you fly so I can avoid that flight.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by Babubhat

FAA Jacksonville horrendously understaffed. Fouls up the East Coast, especially Florida. Inexcusable.

The FAA has admitted that it too is understaffed, particularly at a key air traffic control center in Florida.

Calio said that facility, near Jacksonville, Florida, has been understaffed for 27 of the last 30 days, “which is crippling to the entire East Coast traffic flows.”

Sounds about right. I wonder why they are understaffed?

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

Boy do we miss the pre-pandemic airline industry. Multiple daily non stop round trip options from up north (BDL) to Orlando were always available for under $300 and the flights were typically reliable and on time. Now most carriers have one flight per day, leaving either very early or very late, the cost has more than doubled, cancellations and delays are the norm, and rebooking options are severely limited. Looks like we will continue to be forced to make the 2,720 mile round trip drive three or four times per year and suck up the close to $5 per gallon cost for gas.

On another note, I feel sorry for the private drivers who used to be able to show up for a flight arrival and the plane was there and on time. Flight cancellations and delays (not to mention the cost of fuel) have made their jobs a nightmare.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by MartinSE

Cool, so some guy that worked at the FAA (clerk?) waves his badge and all the lives on that plane are put in jeopardy. Let me know when you fly so I can avoid that flight.

Nope. He was a high up FAA official and he KNEW the pilot was pulling a fast one. It was a time of pilot unrest in that airline.

I flew that airline extensively and was in the Chairman's Club, their top level frequent flier category requiring 100,000 miles flown per year. I knew several pilots, flight attendants and even gate agents in three airports well. Several of them had confided in me what was going on within the ranks. This time it was the pilots; other times it was flight attendants. The airline was not well run. It consequently merged into US Airways (Useless Airways) and then into American Airlines.

I was on this flight. Fortunately the pilot and crew were top drawer! Smoke Detected in lavatory; US Airways Express Flight Makes Emergency Landing | George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster

Growing up near Kirtland Air Force Base early on I developed an interest in aviation. I recall on my first ride as a passenger in a private plane from Ruidoso to ABQ the pilot who was giving me a free hop home told me that he needed to wait until the weather cleared at ABQ before we could take off. We waited a couple hours, got the clearance and took off. He explained to me "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots." I took that advice, unlike JFK Jr! 10 mistakes JFK Jr. made - AOPA

[Michael G.]

I and some golfing buddies were flying out of state to golf, and our flight was cancelled until the next day
because of plane malfunction.

We took a taxi to a motel that night and was telling the taxi driver what happen.

He laughed out loud and told us many times the pilots show up at the airport drunk.

This is truly a sad world

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

I and some golfing buddies were flying out of state to golf, and our flight was cancelled until the next day
because of plane malfunction.

We took a taxi to a motel that night and was telling the taxi driver what happen.

He laughed out loud and told us many times the pilots show up at the airport drunk.

This is truly a sad world

Two America West Pilots Sent to Prison for Drunkenness | Aviation Pros

For a brief period about 15 years ago I dated a United Airlines pilot I met at the Daily Grill in the Bradley terminal at LAX. She was British, flew 777s to and from Heathrow. I soon quit dating her due to her very heavy drinking habits and turned her name into a United Airlines flight surgeon I knew well. Never asked what happened but last time I checked she was still flying for United!

[Babubhat]

Don’t forget the weather. For every lightning strike baggage handlers take 20 minutes off.

Around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, FAA’s website showed ground stops in place – meaning no planes could take off or land – at all three major New York airports, all three major Washington, D.C., airports, along with Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL) and Chicago-O’Hare (ORD).

[Keefelane66]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

If only they had all those in the same place at the same time

Yet, yesterday, 1200 pilots had the spare time to protest/picket for more money, less hours, more benefits, "job security" (figure that one) and "better working conditions" (luxury cockpits???).

The Delta Pilot were off duty and scheduled an informational picket between 10am-12noon. They have been in protracted contract negotiations for 5 years.

[manaboutown]

American Airlines glitch leaves thousands of flights without key crew | Fox Business